The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 115
EP.115 Memory (1)
The position of a butler is a professional one.
This is especially true when the butler manages a bourgeois family with a multitude of businesses or a noble family with a long history. While not on the same level as the duties of a royal treasurer, the amount of money circulating in such households is far from what can be easily managed by simply writing down expenses in a household ledger.
Though this world has devices like calculators, mechanical machines, and even computer-like tools, the pace and complexity of these machines are still far slower and more bothersome than the ones used in my own world, which relied on semiconductors. Because of this, the people operating these machines, as well as those who manage them, were highly important.
The most crucial factor was, of course, trustworthiness.
A person who could be trusted not to pocket any of the considerable funds passing through their hands. Someone who had the skill to calculate taxes properly and ensure the royal family wouldn’t find any flaws. Finding someone with all these qualities to hire from outside was not an easy task. Such a person was likely already employed elsewhere.
That’s why nobles of a certain level made an effort to cultivate such individuals within their own families. Ideally, they would want someone from their own bloodline. If they ever made a mistake or misappropriated funds, the loss would ultimately fall on their own family, and their tax calculations were precise. While they might try to pay less, they didn’t think their intellect was superior to that of the royal palace’s audit offices.
How good of a worker they were mattered greatly.
But not all members of a noble family were blessed with such sharp judgment or intelligence.
Thus, from the very beginning, they tried to cultivate such individuals, ideally instilling loyalty as well.
The butler of the Grace family was no different.
“It’s the greatest honor of my life.”
Though the words were somewhat exaggerated, his tone made it seem like he was speaking from the heart—so much so that it made one wonder if it was truly sincere.
The butler’s short hair was neatly parted in a 2:8 ratio, and he had applied pomade to keep it perfectly in place. Judging by his face, one would expect his hair to be white with age, but perhaps due to dyeing, it was black. His mustache was trimmed meticulously, with no stray hairs visible. He wore a black three-piece suit, with a thin gold chain slipping out from the front pocket of his vest—likely from a pocket watch tucked inside.
“We’re also delighted to visit such a magnificent place. Surely, the estate’s beauty is the result of your hard work.”
“Your praise is too much.”
The butler replied modestly, though he couldn’t entirely hide the pride in his expression. Of course, the level of pride wasn’t inappropriate—it was akin to a faint hint of flavor added to a drink.
“We were showing the princesses around the mansion. They’ll be staying for a few days, and there’s a chance they may visit again in the future.”
The butler’s gaze briefly shifted toward Claire, who was standing near us. In that instant, it seemed as though he quickly understood the situation.
Or perhaps he often spoke with Claire. Considering the guards we met at the estate’s entrance, this seemed like the more plausible explanation.
“If that’s the case, I’d be happy to assist in any way I can.”
The butler spoke to the Baroness, but she gently shook her head. From the way she moved, one might assume she was a noble who had been raised in luxury, knowing nothing of hardship. However, when I briefly glanced at her hand earlier, I noticed calluses on her fingertips.
These weren’t just the result of occasional sword practice; they indicated that she still wielded a sword whenever she had the chance. The Baroness likely noticed my brief glance at her fingers, though she didn’t show it.
“I should be the one to guide the princesses, since I’m the lady of this household.”
“I understand.”
The butler bowed deeply without showing any signs of questioning, despite the Baroness appearing to be younger than him.
“I’ve come to see one of the children currently being trained here to work in the household.”
The butler’s gaze rose again, and I briefly saw a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. However, by the time I met his gaze directly, it was gone.
“The child has finished their tasks for the day and is resting.”
“Would it be inappropriate to visit now?”
“No, not at all. They’ve benefited from the Grace family’s kindness. I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to come out once they hear of your visit.”
In truth, visiting after work hours was somewhat inconsiderate. It was akin to a boss bringing the chairman to meet an employee who had just finished their shift.
But this was a noble family, and most of the children working here were orphans taken in when they were young, saved from certain death. Not only had they survived, but they were also living far better than they would have in a commoner’s household. Their loyalty and gratitude were likely sincere—at the very least, they would have genuine feelings of wanting to stay here.
Come to think of it, the child I was about to meet was technically a character who didn’t appear in the original story.
The butler was familiar to me. While not a particularly significant character, he had been present in the game whenever I visited the Grace family estate, later becoming an NPC who would give out side quests.
But the orphans I had forcibly left here were not.
It was somewhat less uncomfortable compared to when I first met Lena or encountered that strange person in the dungeon.
At least now, I could imagine why these children had ended up in such circumstances. If I had continued living here, those children would probably have called me “big sister.”
Thinking about it made me feel a little strange.
“……”
Ah.
I realized Alice was staring at my face, and I quickly shifted my gaze away.
What had happened had already happened. Time—well, I couldn’t go back to that time now.
Maybe, if I had tried hard enough, searching for a way to escape Lucas, it could have been possible. If I had searched for that one-in-a-million chance, maybe there was a solution.
But I hadn’t. Even if I could go back to that moment, I probably wouldn’t.
Well… I suppose it was alright.
Lucas was a bit scary, Jayden was annoying, and Bella was somewhat irritating, but still, Alice was nice.
Dealing with Alice, who was whining like a child—no, acting like a child—wasn’t as bad as I expected. In the original story, she was always a serious character, except for when she occasionally acted out of the ordinary. I had never seen her whine like this before.
So, that memory was too precious to just discard as if it didn’t happen.
If I had been in her shoes, I probably would’ve felt the same way. If forced to choose between two things, I’d probably struggle with the decision until the end of my life. Sometimes, it was better to not experience one of them at all. It made it easier to let go.
“Please, follow me.”
The butler led us to the part of the mansion where they resided, without hesitation. The Baroness casually followed behind him.
This meant that, in normal circumstances, they must keep their rooms impeccably clean, as if they were always prepared for their masters to visit without any embarrassment.
……
Before we arrived here, both Alice and Claire had warm smiles on their faces. However, after seeing my expression, their faces became slightly stiff. Alice was the first to change her expression, and Claire followed suit, alternating her gaze between Alice and me before her own face gradually hardened.
What kind of expression must I have been making?
……It was probably a neutral one.
A blank expression, one that even I couldn’t read when looking in the mirror. That was the kind of character I had settled into.
*
On Earth, older people who had lived through more years than I had often liked to reminisce about their elementary school days, saying things like “those were the golden years” or “those were the best memories.” But I didn’t really agree with that sentiment.
I’m not sure if it’s because my memory doesn’t compare to others, or for some other reason, but I didn’t really have any clear memories of my elementary school years. I vaguely remembered a few kids, but usually, I couldn’t recall either their faces or names.
So, I didn’t have much to reminisce about. The only memory I really had from those years was that the tteokbokki place by my school was delicious, and that was one of the few memories I had from elementary school.
Because of that, when a boy who looked a few years younger than me stood in front of me, I had to think for a while to remember his face.
But it seemed like the boy, who hadn’t fully left his childhood behind, was a bit different.